Bubblegum Cage III

Ascoltare/Nochexxx

February 17, 2011 at 2:00 pm Leave a comment

Nochexxx - Smashing Your System

Ascoltare and Nochexxx are aliases of Dave Henson, an electronic music artist based in Cambridge, UK. What differentiates the two projects is not entirely clear. The Ascoltare material was apparently produced mostly with software, whereas the more recent Nochexxx releases are being produced entirely on a hardware-based setup. But you wouldn’t really know it, just by comparing Ascoltare’s superb B E A M album to Nochexxx’s “Ritalin Love” 12″. Both releases advance the same aesthetic agenda, using the same sonic building blocks. Henson’s sound is a curious mix of the tastefully ornate and the immersively grotesque – akin to an unlikely collaboration between Ricardo Villalobos and Nurse with Wound.

Oval is another obvious reference point, particularly for some of the more abstract Ascoltare tracks. On the more recent material, the abstraction is reigned in and the rhythmic element is stronger. Indeed, one recent Nochexxx 12″ actually came out on a particularly notable dance music label – Werk Discs, the super-hip post-dubstep imprint run by Darren Cunningham aka Actress. The record in question – “Smashing Your System”/”Sinbliss” – is doubly impressive as it’s a collaboration with legendary outsider emcee Sensational. Of course, the fact that it’s every bit as bizarre  and brilliant as you’d expect is more than just the icing on the cake. Basically, it’s the perfect gateway into the deeply psychedelic world of Ascoltare and Nochexxx. So, what are you waiting for? Go buy it at Forced Exposure.

Entry filed under: electronica. Tags: electronica.